Are Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard destined for the ill-fated end that befalls most onscreen-and-offscreen couples? These two might beat the odds, if the chemistry they show in this rom-com/heist movie is any evidence, and their rapport might be its biggest selling point. Shepard plays Charles Bronson (named for the British prison inmate, not the actor), a former getaway driver in the Witness Protection Program trying to go straight and settle down with his girlfriend Annie (Bell). Problem is, his past won't let him. Specifically, his former best friend and accomplice (an underused Bradley Cooper) has an axe to grind, which when revealed is one of the film's funniest moments. As a director (with David Palmer) and writer, Shepard shows a knack for dialogue, and if you throw in an accident-prone marshal (Tom Arnold), a cop using a gay meet-up phone app to solve crime, a Jason Bateman cameo, and car chases that play out like Drive as directed by Todd Phillips, you've got an entertaining, if scattered romp.

THE TNT SHORT LIST: ARTSEMERSON'S NEXT THING | February 12, 2013 Mike Daisey's anthropologic commentary on American culture is just the beginning of what ArtsEmerson has in store for festival-goers at The Next Thing (TNT) Festival.